First snowbird trip

[DrScotch]

Hi folks, from Ontario. This January, COVID protocol helping, we will hook-up our Tommy Bahama and flee the Canadian winter. The thought is to settle around Sarasota, Florida for a couple months at a nice campground (ideally with reliable wifi). I checked ‘Park Advisor’ , a nice app but it is like shooting in the dark. Any campground you would recommend? Thanks for helping us make this first snowbird trip a memorable journey. Kind regards.
Marc

[Rich W]

If you're near Sarasota then you need to visit Siesta Key. I think it's considered the most beautiful beach in the US, maybe the world. The "sand" is such that it doesn't hold the heat, so you don't burn as you walk down it. Turtle Beach is also very nice, not as popular and easier to park.

We stayed at Myakka River State Park. It's a very popular park and I think we had to book it 11 months in advance. There was a drought and the lake was less than a foot deep. Our kayak barely floated. Lots of gators...lots. It was an okay park for us but we enjoyed the beaches more. The park extends south of highway 72 and you can get a permit to walk south to see more gators than you can imagine.

Lake Manatee state park is north of there, near Bradenton. We were there the last time in 2016 and the Bradenton Motor Sports drag strip was in full bloom. The lake is beautiful but the drag strip is either racing or practicing. It's a constant barrage of noise, just moments apart, never ending until maybe after 10 PM every night.

There are some private RV parks around Sarasota but most want you there at least 2 months, preferably longer. We wanted to stay in state parks and move around a lot to visit different parks.

[WHUDS22]

Nice!

[BigSxyWhtGuy]

You’ll likely end up bouncing from park to park or not getting in where you want to be. Florida is extremely popular during the winter and with covid and the rush to own RVs in the states it’s made it a little more congested.

I’d just start calling RV parks and booking what you can book. State parks book out a year in advance so you’ll be looking for cancellations at this point. There are a lot of private camp grounds, in general we have had luck at the Sun RV resorts. It’s a corporation, so they have standards for looks and amenities and they charge less than KOA in our experience but slightly more than a mom and pop spot.

The last thing is it get more expensive the closer to get to the coast or more south you go. We end up wintering in central FL as a result.

Check out Grand Lake RV and Golf Resort. As I mentioned though, they are busier and may not have availability for a multi week stay BUT it’s a good stop on your way south for a day or two. AND being part of the SUN network, I believe you can call to make a reservation and it goes to a call center, they may be able to check multiple locations for reservations. If you make it into grand lake, look us up and say hi [emoji112]

https://www.sunrvresorts.com/resorts...da/grand-lake/

[GetawA-S]

Marc,
As residents of Florida, we welcome you to our state and hope you enjoy the stay. Your planning will confirm what the other members have said: you will be facing a lot of competition for nice sites, especially near the beach.
There’s a nice campground on Sanibel Island that might have a space open for a week . Periwinkle.
Further north, Cedar Key is a quiet location with birding and local flavor, but not so much for beach time.
On the panhandle, the Appalachicola area is far less crowded but still has access to nice gulf beaches.
This late in the game, you may need to be flexible.
Bring your own internet access. The campgrounds have given up trying to keep up with the “I wanna stream like I do at home” crowd.
Enjoy your trip!

[GetawA-S]

Another possibility, with less competition from the hoipoloi, is Paradise Park in Punta Garda. It is an Airstream community that allows owners to rent out their sites. $500 to $900 per month.

[Hans627]

As you know FL is a big state. Lots of options but also very, very popular in the winter for obvious reasons.

We have been successful at finding a spot on several occasions at Southern Palms RV Resort in Eustis, FL (https://thousandtrails.com/florida/s...lms-rv-resort/). Nice park and a very nice area in Lake County. It is in the center of the state which is not quite as popular as the beaches. Thus more available.

Best wishes on your quest!